Richard Marles (Corio, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Yesterday, a memorial plaque honouring the commander of Turkish forces at Gallipoli and the first President of the Republic of Turkey was unveiled by the Turkish ambassador, His Excellency Mr Murat Ersavci. The memorial was first dedicated on Anzac Day 1985 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Gallipoli landing. It has just undergone a refurbishment in readiness for this year’s Anzac Day commemorations. Kemal Ataturk was the father of modern Turkey. He is remembered at this site but so are the bonds of friendship, which were forged during the horror of Gallipoli. The war memorial is just as much a tribute to the Anzac and Turkish troops who fought so heroically throughout that campaign. Of the 130,000 soldiers who lost their lives on the Gallipoli Peninsula, more than 8,000 of them were from Australia.

From this war came a unique international relationship between Turkey and Australia, two countries that, out of a great conflict, became the closest of friends. There is a beautiful quote on the memorial, which was written by Ataturk in 1934 for a visiting British, Australian and New Zealand delegation to Anzac Cove, and it demonstrates the depth of his feelings for all those whose lives were lost regardless of their country of birth:

Those heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives … You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country … There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side … you, the mothers, who sent their sons from far away countries wipe away your tears, your sons are now lying in our bosom and are in peace … They have become our sons as well.

My great uncle, Leo Pearce, landed on Gallipoli Peninsula on that day, 25 April 1915. My close friend and colleague John Eren, the Victorian member of parliament for the Geelong based seat of Lara, was born in Turkey and came to Australia at the age of three. His grandfather also fought at Gallipoli and was there on that first day as well, looking down on the beach from the heights of Gallipoli, a witness to the waves of Australian troops who were to disembark. Who would have thought that nearly a century on the grandson and great nephew of those two men could have become such great mates? John describes himself as a Turkish-born Australian. More than 30,000 people in Australia describe themselves in just that way, and another 30,000 more claim Turkish ancestry. Huge waves of migrants arrived from Turkey during the 1960s, perhaps drawn to a country that had loomed large in their imaginations for generations. The first arrivals reached Sydney in 1968 and Melbourne in the same year.

Turkish Australians have made a huge contribution to our society. John Ilhan, the founder of Crazy John’s mobile phone company, is just one example of a Turkish Australian who made a success in this country and gave generously to his community before his untimely death last year. In addition to John Eren, Adam Somyurek is another member of the Victorian parliament with Turkish heritage. Gallipoli gave birth to a great friendship between two countries. It gave Australia a proud and wonderful community, and it gave me a dear and loyal friend.